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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25223353">Adrift</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nativestar/pseuds/Nativestar'>Nativestar</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>MacGyver (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Cold Open Challenge, Gen, Hurt/Comfort</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:53:49</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,191</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25223353</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nativestar/pseuds/Nativestar</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Stranded in the middle of an ocean with an injured partner and limited supplies?  Must be a Friday.  Written for the last day of the cold open challenge: Improvise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>56</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Adrift</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>On another day, in another lifetime, this would be paradise.</p><p>There were clear blue skies above and the ocean stretched out as far as the eye could see. All around them it was calm, and the only sound was of gentle waves lapping at the side of the boat. The horizon was an unblemished straight line, unbroken by any landmass or boat. If Jack had been out here with fishing gear, cold beers and his friends, it would have been perfect. Instead, he was on an inflatable liferaft with an emergency survival bag and not a living soul in miles, except for the one lying next to Jack, trying to quietly not bleed out.</p><p>“There. That’s the best I can do until we can get you home.” Jack said, securing the pressure bandage over the bullet wound that had gouged Mac’s side.</p><p>Mac didn’t say anything, his eyes were screwed shut and his jaw clenched as he tried to silently breathe through the pain. While Jack appreciated the effort, it was taking up energy Mac couldn’t afford to lose.</p><p>“Mac, bud, there’s no one around for miles. Don’t hold it in on my account. You want to yell or scream, just do it.”</p><p>Mac let out a groan but that was it, Jack really hoped that meant the worst of the pain was abating. He peeled off the nitrile gloves and checked what else they had in the first aid kit. It was pretty basic, but… yes! Painkillers. Not exactly the narcotics that Mac needed but over-the-counter was better than nothing.</p><p>“What else is in the ditch bag?” Mac’s unsteady voice came from behind him.</p><p>“I’ll check in a minute. Here.” Jack dropped a couple of pills into Mac’s shaky hand and he quickly dry swallowed them.</p><p>“EPIRB?” Mac asked.</p><p>Jack grimaced. The emergency radio beacon had taken a bullet as they were fleeing. Because that was the way their luck was going today.</p><p>“Took a bullet, bud. We’re not signalling anyone with this.” Jack picked up the beacon, the plastic casing had shattered and Jack was pretty sure it wasn’t supposed to rattle. He passed it to Mac, who turned it around in his hands, examining it. If anyone could fix it, Mac could, but it’d take a miracle and Jack had a feeling they were fresh out of them today.</p><p>Putting the beacon to one side, Mac got an elbow underneath him and started to push himself up. “Give me a hand?” He asked.</p><p>“Dude, we just got the bleeding stopped. Stay still. Rest a bit.”</p><p>Jack had expected him to stubbornly ignore him but surprisingly, Mac stopped and carefully laid back, putting an arm across his eyes to keep the blazing sun out. The kid was definitely hurting bad. Jack made a mental note to try and find the canopy and put it up for some shade. He dragged the bright yellow ditch bag closer.</p><p>“Still with me, man?” Jack asked when Mac didn’t react.</p><p>“Yeah.”</p><p>“Okay, I’ll inventory our supplies and let you know what’s in our goodie bag. You take it easy and try not to bleed.”</p><p>“I think I can manage that.” Mac answered tiredly as Jack pulled out a plastic box, opening it.</p><p>“We’ve got a flare gun, three flares and two parachute flares.” Jack rattled off, remembering to be specific about the numbers, because Mac would only question him or try to check himself otherwise. “Two thermal protective aids. Shouldn’t need them.” Jack indicated the sun that was blazing down on them.</p><p>“Might do. It’ll get cold at night.”</p><p>“I don’t plan on being here that long.” Jack knew that wasn’t realistic, but he felt the situation called for an overabundance of optimism right now.</p><p>“I didn’t plan on being here at all.” Mac said. Well, that was reassuring. At least Mac hadn’t meant to sink the boat with that explosion.</p><p>“First Aid kit, which you’ve already sampled.”</p><p>Mac grunted. “Needs better drugs.”</p><p>“Food packs and four 1 litre water rations. Sunscreen.” Jack put that to one side before carrying on, they would definitely need that soon, sunburn was another misery they could both do without. “Flashlight.”</p><p>Mac uncovered his eyes, putting his hand out and Jack reluctantly handed it over. It was their only flashlight and no doubt Mac would be breaking this one, but then again, if he could use it to fix their beacon it would be a worthy sacrifice. Jack carried on digging out the last of the supplies in the bag.</p><p>“A mirror.”</p><p>“Heliograph.” Mac interrupted.</p><p>“Looks like a mirror.”</p><p>“Well, it is a mirror.”</p><p>“So why correct me?”</p><p>“Habit?” Mac shrugged.</p><p>“Bad habit.” Jack corrected. “Okay, and lastly we’ve got bailer, paddles and a whistle. That’s your lot.”</p><p>It was a decent emergency kit. In theory, they should be good for at least a day or two, but Mac’s wound had put them on a different kind of timetable. He’d lost more than a little blood and even if Jack could sneak some of his own water rations into him without Mac noticing, it wasn’t going to be enough. And while Jack’s first aid skills were good, if he didn’t get an infection it would be a miracle. In short, Jack knew that Mac was likely going to go downhill and it was only a question of how quickly it happened. And from the look in his eyes, Mac knew this too.</p><p>“They’ll find us.” Jack tried to reassure him.</p><p>“Maybe. If they knew which boat we’d stowed away on out of a marina of hundreds. Which they don’t.” Mac sighed.</p><p>“They’ll figure it out.” Jack said acting like it didn’t bother him, in truth, Jack didn’t doubt that they’d be found, the real question was if it’d be in time and more importantly, if it’d be in time for Mac.</p><p>Mac nodded and closed his eyes, resting his arm over them again. “Yeah, Matty will already have the coastguard out looking for us. Riley will be writing an algorithm to search the satellite images. And Bozer… will be Bozer...” Mac voice trailed off.</p><p>Jack watched, allowing himself to frown in concern now that Mac couldn’t see him. He’d let him sleep for a bit, recover for a few hours at least. Then he’d let him have at it with the beacon. Even if Mac couldn’t fix it, trying to would keep his hands busy, keep his mind off their predicament. Jack wished <em>he</em> had a distraction. There wasn’t a lot more that he could do to help, moral support was about as much as he could offer at the moment.</p><p>Suddenly, Mac gasped, lifting his arm as his eyes flew back open.</p><p>“What's wrong?” Jack asked quickly, worried, and his eyes immediately went to the thankfully still white bandage on Mac’s side. “Mac?”</p><p>Mac didn’t say anything for a moment, his eyes staring into the distance as his brain went at hundred miles an hour. Jack hovered, not sure what to do. Then Mac smiled, that wry, I-have-an idea-but-you’re-not-going-to-like-it smile that Jack would never get tired of seeing light up his face.</p><p>“I have an idea.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Cue credits.</p><p>I did just enough research to hopefully make this realistic: EPIRB is an Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon and is used to alert search and rescue services in the event of an emergency. A ditch bag, also called an abandon ship bag, contains key items needed to summon help and to survive in a life raft while waiting for rescue to arrive.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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